Means for displaying articles of merchandise.



No. 878,307. '7 PATENTED FEB. 4, 1908. W. OSULLIVAN.

MEANS FOR DISPLAYING ARTICLES 0P MERCHANDISE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 17,1908.

UNITED S'IlATES PATENT Ulilllfilil.

WVILLIAM OSULLIVAN, OF NEW YORK, Y., ASSIGNOR TO MANHATTAN BRIAN PlPE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MEANS FOR DISPLAYING ARTICLES OF MERCHANDISE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 4, 1908.

Application filed May 17.1906. Serial 110.317.252.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVILLIAM OSULLIVAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Means for Displaying Articles of Merchandise, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved means for dis laying articles of merchandise, particularly t rose havin 'a bore or interior chamber; and is intended chiefly for displaying tobacco ipes in a posture corresponding to that whicll the pipe ordinarily has in the mouth of a smoker, so as to display the pipe in its natural position and to the best advantage. By the use of my invention a pipe may be supported and removed from its support without danger of scratching the interior or exterior of the bowl of the pipe, and the device -.embodyin the invention may be so constructed, as will e described, as to support the pipe in the natural position referred to either upon a horizontal surface, or ina state of suspension from, and out of contact with, a vertical wall or display board. In fact, by modification of that part of the device which operates outside the pipe bowl it may be employed in numerous ways to support the pipe in a osition or attitude corresponding to that w rich it has ordinarily in the mouth of a smoker.

With these objects in View, the invention resides in a means for displaying articles of merchandise hereinafter described.

That which is regarded as new will be set forth in the clauses of claim appended to the description.

In the accom anying drawings, wherein my invention is 1 lustrated, in what I regard as several of the best known embodiments -thereof: Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form 0 the device; Fig. 2 is a similar view of a slightly difi erent form thereof; F 3 is a perspective view illustrating a pipe displayed or sup orted by the form of device shown in Fig. 1; ig. 4 is a sectional view of a pipe bowl to illustrate the engagement of the isplay device with such an article; Fig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating .a pi e supported by a form of device illustrate in Fig. 2; and Fig. 6 is an elevation of a pipe support ed by either form of the device, and showing a fprice ta or card arranged in the bowl there- 0 and he (1 in position by the display device, in which figure the supporting device is altohollow article and engage the opposite walls thereof, and an exterior supporting member or ortion 2 adapted to engage a surface, suc as the floor, wall, or other )art of a show window display-board or the like.

The portion 1, in the preferred embodiment illustrated, consists in a spring member which engages the interior wall of the bowl of thepipe at diametrically opposite points with a gentle pressure, yet sullicient to support the pipe in the position or attitude hereinbefore referred to and which, for convenience, will be referred to as the. interior member. As shown, the device is made of a single piece of a s ring material, and it is preferred that it shal be-so made, but in some aspects of my invention I wish it understood that I do not restrict myself to this manner of corn struction. The spring portion thereof, in the preferred construction shown, com rises a number of connected spring arms or oops '3, and terminates in an angular olfstanding portion or finger 4 to engage the wall of the pipe at one point. The opposite wall of the pipe is engaged by the vertical arm or loop 5, and there is sufficient s ring between said arm 5 and finger 4 to boil the device in engagement with the interior wall of the bowl of the pipe at opposite points with suiiicient firmness to sustain the pipe. narrow or restricted one and serves as a ta holder 11 (see Fig. l), and it will be observed that in this arrangement the price tag 11 (see Fig. 5) conceals entirely the display device. One limb 5 of the loop is appreclably longer than the arms 3 of the interior memher, so that it is ada ted to project above the rim of the bowl of t re pipe while the arms 3 are entirely concealed within the bowl. A reach 6 projects laterally from the loop 5 across, above, and clear of or out of contact with, the rim of the bowl, sothat possibility of scratching the rim is avoided.

The interior portion of the device is provided with a means whereby the enga' ement of such portion with. the wall of the owl of the pipe or other article may be eased or re leased to facilitate the withdrawal of the article without danger of scratching or otherwise marring the wall thereof. Asshown,

- ofi'set foot or shoe 8, and the said leg and shoe ing member.

in this form of the invention constitutes what has been termed the exterior portion adapted to engage the surface, by which the device is maintained in a suitable position to display the pipe in the manner described. This result is secured in the form of device referred to by the leg 2, preferably having the foot or shoe-8, which rests upon a horizontal surface, as illustrated in Fig. 3, and holds the pipe in a natural position.

When it is desired to support the'pipe in front of a vertically disposed display board, a wall, or the like in a show window, the reach 6 may be formed with or connected to a screw 9 by which the device may be connected' to such display board, wall, or the like, and which, within the terms of this description, constitutes the exterior support- As hereinbefore stated the formation of the exterior portion for the purpose of engaging a horizontal, vertical or other supportmg Witnesses:

surface or body, may be modified according to the particular situation or character ofsaid supporting surface or body; in fact;-

since it is apparent that various changes in- 4' 1 form, construction, and design, may be made-,1

without departing from the principle of "my j I invention, I do not limit myself to the particular embodiment herein shown and de scribed, except in so far as I am limited by .5

the prior art to which the invention belongs. Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A device of the character described 5 0- formed of a single piece of spring material and comprising an exterior supporting niem-.

ber; an interior bore-engaging member 'terminating in a wall-engaging end, having a -'x depending wall-engaging and tag receiving' 5'5xj loop or leg, and an intermediate releasing..- loop extending above said wall-engaging. end 4,

and a reach connecting said exterior-and in terior members. i

2. A device of the character-described having a depending leg with an angularlyidisposed foot or shoe, an interiorwall-eng ag exterior and interiorme hbers,

v In testimony-whereof Ifhave-heie'unto setf my hand in presence 11 @WQWbQfibiQflMt nesses. f g: I

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